Antioxidant and antibacterial activates of clove and cardamom extracts

Clove and cardamom were powdered and extracted with high polarity solvents, diethyl ether, ethanol and distilled water at room temperature. Radical scavenging activity of dried diethyl ether, ethanol and water extracts of clove and cardamom were compared with butylated hydroxyl anisole [BHA]. The scavenging activity of clove ethanol extract was significantly higher than that of a cardamom ethanol extract. Ethanol extract showed significantly higher radical-scavenging activity than the other extracts did. It should be noted that no significant differences were found between scavenging activities of clove ethanol extract and BHA. Clove ethanol extract showed marked reducing power in potassium ferricy anide reduction method. The reducing power of clove ethanol extract was higher than cardamom ethanol extract. Antibacterial activity of ether, ethanol, and water extracts was evaluated by agar well-diffusion method against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and compared with antibiotic chloramphenicol. The ethanol extract of clove performed high antibacterial activity than the same extract of cardamom against all tested bacteria. The greatest antibacterial activity was performed by the ethanol extract of clove against Staphylococcus aurous with higher diameter of inhibition than that of chloramphenicol. No significant differences were detected between the antibacterial activity of chloramphenicol and ethanol extract of clove against Listeria mo11ocytogenes [the diameter of inhibition zone 20.3 and 20.8 respectively]. The Minimal inhibitory concentration, [MIC] of the most active extracts of clove and cardamom was also performed. The gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aurous and Listeria monocytogenes were more sensitive than gram-negative bacteria Salmonella enteric to the clove and cardamom ether extract and clove ethanol extract. The results obtained indicate that clove and cardamom may become important in the obtainment of a noticeable source of compounds with health protective potential and antimicrobial activity

influence of platelets collagen receptor expression and platelets glycoprotein Ia allele polymorphisms in acute coronary disease

Platelets play an important part in arterial thrombosis therefore it is important to consider the role of adhesion molecules of the platelet surface that play a role in increasing arterial risk. Glycoprofein Ia/IIa is the major platelet collagen receptor and is responsible for platelet adherence to exposed vascular subendothelium. A four fold variation of the platelets receptor density of the collagen receptor glycoprotein Ia/IIa correlating with platelet function to adhere to collagen type I and type III. GPIa/IIa surface expression is influenced by two linked single nucleotide polymorphism [807CT, 873GA] in glycoprotein Ia gene. Individuals with low receptor,densities are homozygos for the 807C/873G allele [CC] genotype whereas individuals homozygos for the 807T/873A allele [TT] genotype have high receptor densities with increased risk of thrombosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of platelet glycoprotein Ia allele polymorphism and platelet collagen receptor [CD49/CD29] density in patients with acute coronary syndrome and control subjects to clarify their possible involvement of their genotype and density as risk factors of the disease, and also to study the association between these findings and the other risk factor for myocardial infarction. The study including 41 patients with a mean age 55.23 years [ +/- 10.98] with a male to female ratio of 33:8. They were compared to 22 controls with a mean age of 49.74 years [ +/- 12.05] and a male to female ratio of 11:11.Glycoprotein Ia gene polymorphism analysis was done by PCR technique for patients and control group together with flowcytometric study of platelet collagen receptor [CD49/CD29] density. Plateletes glycoprotein Ia/IIa receptor% among cases showed a mean of 79.22% [ +/- 12.95] in comparison to 70.9% [ +/- 13.68] among controls. The difference was statistically significant. As regards gene rearrangements, the frequencies of homozygotes T807 allele [TT genotype] were significantly higher in patients with ACS than in controls [24.39% vs 13.63% p<0.05]. The prevalence of [CC] genotypes was also higher in control than in patients [31.8% vs 17%, p<0.05]. Platelets glycoprotein receptor Ia/IIa% [R%] among these groups showed a significant difference between TT cases [mean of 90.5% +/- 3.5], CC cases [mean of 66.5% +/- 5.75] and CT cases [mean of 79.8% +/- 4.82]. Studying other risk factors [obesity, hypertension [HTN], diabetes mellitus [DM] and lipid profile including total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein [LDL] and high density lipoprotein [HDL]] among our group of patients comparing to control subjects, showed no marked significant difference but not for triglycerides [TG] where was significantly higher in our patients compared to control. It was concluded that TT genotype was over presented among patients with acute coronary syndrome compared to healthy controls, whether this genotype is associated with more severe type of coronary heart disease or not this deserve larger scale study

Evaluation of the effect of aging on intracellular free potassium, Magnesium and Calcium in rats: relation to hypertension and diabetes

Altered cytosolic free calcium [Ca[i]], potassium [K[i]], magnesium [Mg[i]] are observed in both hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM]. These observed alterations are also related to extracellular ionized calcium, potassium and magnesium levels in such cases. Because the changes of vascular function and insulin sensitivity in these conditions resemble the changes associated with "normal" aging, we wondered to what extent similar alterations in calcium, potassium and magnesium metabolism can occur with aging per se in the absence of hypertension or diabetes. We therefore measured platelet Ca[i] K[i] and Mg[i] levels and serum Ca, K, Mg-ion levels in normotensive, non-diabetic aged rats and compared the obtained results with their corre sponding values in normotensive, non-diabetic young rats, and in both young hypertensive and young diabetic rats. Platelet Ca[i] levels were higher [125.9 +/- 8.1 versus 98.9 +/- 1.4 nmol/L] and serum Ca-ion levels lower [8.9 +/- 0.2 versus 10.3 +/- 0.28 mg/dl] in aged compared with young control rats. Furthermore, platelet K[i] and Mg[i] levels were lower [131 +/- 2.4 versus 146 +/- 3.8 mmol/l; 218.4 +/- 9.4 micro mol/l versus 326.3 +/- 9.8 micro mol/l] in aged compared with young control rats. Serum K-ion and Mg-ion levels were also lower [4.4 +/- 0.18 versus 5.4 +/- 0.15 mmol/l; 1.58 +/- 0.08 versus 1.92 +/- 0.3mg/dl] in aged compared with young control rats. These ionic changes mimic those occuring in young hypertensive and young diabetic rats. We conclude that aging is associated with alterations of cytosolic Ca[i], K[i] Mg[i] and serum Ca-ion, K-ion, Mg-ion levels resembling those changes present at any age in hypertension and diabetes. We hypothesize that these alterations of ionic concentrations underlie the predisposition to tire alterations of blood pressure and insulin sensitivity characteristic of "normal" aging

Comparison of postoperative quality in sevoflurane versus propofol- ketamine anesthesia for outpatient laparoscopy

Outpatient laproscopic surgery, put the anesetheologist in challenge for either total intravenous anesthesia [TIVA] or inhalational anesthesia with sevoflurane, which gives rise to rapid recovery. This study shows a comparison in postoperative quality between propofol in combination with ketamine-group [1] and sevoflurane group [2] for forty patients undergoing laproscopic procedures[n=20]. The differences between both groups as regard: nausea visual analogue scoee [VAS], nausea VAS >75, postoperative nausea and vomiting [PONV], and N/V treatment were significantly higher in group [1] with also higher incidence of dreaming state but the pain VAS and analgesic requirements were significantly higher in group[2] Postoperative haemodynamic or respiratory changes were statistically insignificant. It is concluded that sevoflurane anesthesia is better than propofol-ketamine combination in the anesthetic management of outpatient laproscopic surgery as it provides rapid recovery, no PONV, but less postoperative analgesia which can be overcomed by giving patients a long acting non-steroidal analgesic near the end of surgery

Endothelial apoptosis and arterial thrombosis: Expression of CD31 and CD146 in recent and old thrombotic events

This study included 76 cases of recent and arterial thrombosis and 15 age-matched controls. Endothelial-derived CD 146 positive microparticles were statistically higher among cases of old thrombosis vs. controls. They were also statistically higher among old thrombosis than recent thrombosis cases. No statistical difference was found between recent thrombosis cases and controls regarding CD146. CD31 was found to be insignificantly raised among recent and old thrombotic cases in comparison to controls. Nineteen diabetics were among the patients group, but no statistical difference was detected regarding CD31 or 146 levels in comparison to non-diabetic patients. Similarly, 8 hypertensive cases were included with no statistical difference regarding CD31 or CD146 in comparison to normotensive cases. Endothelial microparticle detection among old cases of arterial thrombosis may indicate the persistence of the danger of rethrombosis

Osteomalacia potentially induced among treated epileptic children

Anticonvulsants osteomalacia is a problem which is growing up with the wide use of different types of AEDs. We aimed to evaluate the effect of AEDs on calcium metabolism in epileptic children. This study included 40 well diagnosed epileptic children who were attending regularly neurology outpatient clinic. - Ain Shams University hospitals at a period from May 1995 to August 1996. They were receiving anti-epileptic drugs for more than 18 months either carbamazepin or valproic acid or both. Their ages ranged between 6 and 10 years [mean age 8.5 +/- 1.1 years]. Another 20 apparently healthy children in the same cohort were chosen to serve as control [mean age 8.1 +/- 1.5 years]. The results of this study showed that there was a highly significant decrease in weight and height percentiles [P< 0.001]. In addition, there was a highly significant decrease in mean calcium metabolism parameters [25 [OH] D3, calcium, and phosphorus] with increase in mean alkaline phosphatase [p < 0.001] among treated epileptic children compared to controls. This finding was strongly evident not only in monotherapy but also in polytherapy treated epileptics compared to controls. However, there was no statistical significant difference between monotherapy Vs polytherapy treated epileptic children. According to the duration of treatment, there was significant decrease in mean weight and height percentiles [p < 0.05] and a highly significant decrease in 25 [OH] D3 in epileptic children treated for a period more than 3years [p <0.001] but there was no statistical significant difference in other parameters of calcium metabolism [p > 0.05]. We could conclude that AEDs had a negative effect on weight and height percentiles in which are aggravated by longer duration of treatment and number of drugs used to control fits. This was accompanied by a state of biochemical osteomalacia in the form of decreased serum 25 [OH] D3, calcium, phosphorus and increased serum alkaline phosphatase. Lastly, regular check up of calcium metabolism parameters for early detection of their alteration is recommended and using monotherapy is advisable especially in growing children. Evaluation of the effect of new AEDs on calcium metabolism is essential